Life Goes On
by XoXKeii-chanXoX
Summary: After losing her mother a few months from returning from the incident at the Cat Kingdom, Haru decides to repay a visit to the Cat Bureau. The cats from the Cat Kingdom have also decided to mess with Haru's life once again. Not a good sum, so just read.
1. Reuniting Old Friends

_**Hey guys! Chii here! Wanted to take a break for a while from Ghost Hunt and take a shot at another anime. I was poking around one day at Studio Ghibli works and came across The Cat Returns. Having seen Whispers of the Heart and noticing that they made a built off of Baron, I was thoroughly intrigued. When I watched the movie, I INSTANTLY fell in love with it! So, I decided to write my own FanFic; building off of where they left off, with a slight twist. I could go on and on about my life story and bore you to tears, so I'll just stop rambling now. Without further adue, I give you "Life Goes On."**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to The Cat Returns. All wrights go to Studio Ghibli.**_

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><p><em>It's been approximately six months since the incident that changed my outlook on life for as long as I shall live. The time when I wouldn't have believed in myself or have as much confidence as I do now. If it wasn't for that incident, I'd still be a shy school girl, who always second guesses her decisions and wouldn't know what to do with herself. I have one person to thank for that: Baron Humbert von Gikkingen.<em>

As the familiar tone of my cow-shaped alarm clock started chiming away, I lazily rolled over in my bed, groped around for the large snooze button, and reluctantly got up to get ready for school. I shivered as I quickly put on my winter school uniform, and went downstairs to start breakfast. As I walked over to the fireplace to light a small fire, I looked up at the mantle and smiled sadly. I was admiring the small urn that had positioned itself proudly on our fireplace mantle for the last few weeks.

'_Breakfast just isn't the same without you, mom.' _I thought to myself. _'Hope you're doing well in heaven…' _Not long after I returned from the Cat Kingdom those few months ago, mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. They claimed that it was too far into the stages to do anything to treat it, and said that mom only had a couple more months to live. It seemed so surreal, and I didn't want to believe it. Mom made the best of the last few months of her life; up until the very last breath she took.

I had been so lost in thought, that when I glanced at the wall clock, I only had about 5 minutes to get ready. As I reluctantly gathered my things and ran out the door, I glanced back once more to make sure to say good bye to mom.

"Good-bye Mom!" I cried out with a sad, but soft smile. I shut the door behind me, and started my long trek to the school.

I was about half-way there, when I heard someone calling my name.

"Hey! Haru!" cried the voice. I smiled widely as I recognized the voice immediately. I turned around to see Hiromi running towards me, slipping every few steps on the icy sidewalks. As she came to a blatant stop, she ended up sliding further than anticipated, and ended up taking me down with her. When we landed, we burst into a chorus of laughter that filled the entire neighborhood.

"Whoops, sorry!" Hiromi said, helping me up in the process. I laughed a bit before replying,

"No, it's fine. It's not the first time it's happened, after all." I retorted with a smirk. Hiromi's face flushed a bit, before we both continued to the school. While we were walking, Hiromi decided to strike up a conversation. She talked about how her and Tsuge were doing great together, and how she goes to every one of his matches. I figured that they would end up together in the end. The week after I came back from the Cat Kingdom, not only did Tsuge confess his love to Hiromi, Machida did the same to myself. While Hiromi excitedly accepted Tsuge's offer, I politely turned Machida down, stating that I wasn't ready for anything like that yet. I was so lost in thought, Hiromi had to say my name a few times to snap me out of it.

"Haru? Haru!" She exclaimed. I jumped back a bit at the sudden snap back to reality, slipping a bit in the process. "Are you sure you're ok? You've been kind of spacey…" she asked.

"Of course! I'm fine. Sorry, just a bit tired is all." I said, forcing a smile. While Hiromi could obviously see that wasn't the case, she decided not to push the matter any further.

When school left out, I told Hiromi that I wanted to take a bit of a walk before I headed home.

"You sure?" She asked, concern filling her voice. I nodded.

"Mmhm. The walk will do me good. I'll see you tomorrow!" I exclaimed before enveloping my best friend in a tight hug. She reluctantly accepted it before walking off. I turned around and started my walk around town.

I was walking for so long, I hadn't realized it when I came to the Cross Roads. I decided to take a seat after walking around for so long. When I sat down, I hadn't realized it was the very seat where I had first met my large feline friend, Muta. I smiled sadly as I thought to myself,

'_Ever since that day, I haven't seen head nor tail of that fat cat.' _Chuckling to myself, I thought I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye.

"Hm? That was odd…" I thought out loud. "Just now, I could've sworn I just saw…" I hadn't even finished my sentence when I found myself subconsciously walking in what seemed all too familiar of a way. I turned down various ally-ways and climbed various roofs, to find myself staring at what seemed like a 'Blast From The Past'.

"Could it really be…" I said out loud, as I stood at the all too familiar white arch that held one of my most exciting memories. I walked slowly up to the arch to find myself shrinking with every step I took. When I finally got through the arch-way, I gasped at the dramatic change in height I had just witnessed. I took a deep breath as I scanned the village-like area, whilst memories flooded my head.

"Hm…I wonder if Baron would be home…" I said out loud. Without even thinking, I slowly strolled up to said feline's door. I hesitantly raised my hand to knock on the green-colored door, when a sound resonated behind me. I whipped around just in time to see the statue on the pedestal change from a statue, to a live crow.

"Toto!" I exclaimed with a wide grin. The sudden shout of his name made the bird jump a bit before recognizing the very human who had helped those many months ago.

"Haru?" He said with a bit of puzzlement in his voice. "Is that really you?" My smile widened as the crow gently glided down to greet me.

"Yep!" I exclaimed. "It's me!"

"Hey, Chicky!" I heard the familiar, rough voice of Muta sound from behind me.

"Muta!" I exclaimed as I ran up to him to greet him. "I'm so glad to see you both!"

"As are we." Toto started. "But, how did you end up so small?" He asked. I just looked at him.

"Your guess is as good as mine…" I said. "When I walked through the arch-way, I felt myself shrinking in size, and before I knew it, I was as small as a cat again." I explained. Remembering that we were missing one person from this equation, I turned to Muta. "Is Baron home?"

"Yeah, he's inside." Muta said with a grin, which I returned before walking up to the small building where the orange feline resided. I opened the door as quietly as possible. Sneaking in, I stayed out of sight quite well. When I shut the door quietly, I walked in a bit further as Baron was busy making himself a cup of tea. Grinning, I politely said,

"One cup of Baron's own personal blend of tea, please! With milk, if you would." I grinned as Baron whipped his head around.

"Haru?" Was all he managed to say. He smiled lightly at me as he came over to give me a light hug, which I gladly accepted. "Why are you here? And how are you so small?" He asked. I smiled.

"Good to see you too, Baron." I chuckled a bit before making myself at home on his couch. I missed this place so much.

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><p><em><strong>Ok, so not much of a great intro, but I just wanted to get the intros and the reuniting back together all in one chapter so I could continue with the actual plot. Hope to see all your reviews! R&amp;R and Review please!<strong>_


	2. Patching Up a Broken Heart

_**Hey guys! Trying to update, what with being sick and having school and all that jazz…fun, fun, fun! So, I'll try to update as much as possible as I normally would. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!**_

_**I, unfortunately, do not own The Cat Returns.**_

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><p>As Baron handed me my cup of tea, I made myself at home on the couch in the center of the room. Toto and Muta had begun shooting insults at each other as they normally would. I chuckled at the sight, while quietly sipping my tea.<p>

"Your tea is as amazing as I remember it, Baron!" I exclaimed. He smiled at me.

"Then you're lucky, once again." He said with a smile, which made my heart skip a beat or two in the process.

"Get off my head, you birdbrain!" Muta yelled.

"Oh, don't even start with the whole 'birdbrain thing' again! Can't you come up with anything better…?" He retorted. I ended up laughing a bit louder than expected.

"I guess old habits never die." I mused. Baron chuckled.

"I suppose not, in this case." He replied. Just then, the two animals ran outside to finish their arguing in a more 'physical' way. I giggled quietly, as Baron just shook his head at the scene while sitting down in a chair just across from where I was currently sitting.

"So have their been any cases lately?" I asked. Completely ignoring the loud thumps we heard every so often from Muta hitting the ground from Toto knocking him backwards.

"Unfortunately, there hasn't been any new cases since yours at the Cat Kingdom. Things have been going quite well though. Besides those two having their occasional arguments, things are nice and quiet here." Baron explained. I smiled. We continued to chat about various things; like how I was doing in school, and how Hiromi and I are still as close as ever, and other topics like that. Eventually Muta and Toto came in; Toto's feathers ruffled, and Muta's fur quite dirty from falling over so many times. We talked for a while more, before I glanced at the clock on the shelf.

"Wow! It's really that late?" I thought out loud. "I have to get home to move some more of my mother's things out of the apartment tomorrow, so I should get extra rest tonight." I ended up saying this without thinking first. When I said this, the three of them all looked at me with concern.

"What do you mean, Haru?" Baron asked, with what seemed like the most concerned one in the room.

'_Great…the last thing I need is them worrying about me… Me and my big mouth…' _I scolded myself in my mind.

"Nothing! Nothing!" I said, with as much of a smile as I could muster up. "Gotta run! Thank you so much for the tea and the lovely chat, Baron. I'll come by again soon!" I reassured them as I got up to leave. I grabbed my jacket hanging on the coat rack, and opened the door to leave. I paused a bit to turn around and give the three Bureau members a reassuring smile, waved good-bye, and left quickly as to not let any cold air inside the tiny building.

I walked through the arch-way, and could feel myself returning back to my original size as I left the tiny village-like area. I looked back, before returning through the various twists and turns of the alleyways and rooftops. I didn't want them to know, just yet. I couldn't wait to get home and get some well-deserved rest.

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><p>I reached over to hit the switch on my cow-shaped alarm clock, noticing that it wasn't even going off.<p>

"Oh yeah…It's Saturday." I said to myself. "I should call and see if Hiromi's up yet. She offered to help me move some of mom's stuff." I got up lazily and reached for my cell phone. I dialed Hiromi's number, still not fully awake. When she picked up, her voice startled me a bit.

"Hey, Haru!" She said excitedly. "You're finally up!"

"Not so loud, Hiromi…" I moaned. I wasn't awake enough to deal with her being so hyper yet. "I'm still just waking up…"

"Oh, whoops!" She said. "Sorry! You still want my help today? I'm free all day!" She offered. I smiled lightly.

"Yeah, thanks." I said. "That'd be great. There isn't much left, so you don't have to do much."

"No problem!" She said. "I'm happy to help out as much as I can! You want me to come over right away?" She asked.

"Yeah, if you want. I'll get started awhile, and I'll leave the door open so you can just walk in right away."

"Yooou got it!" She said. I chuckled, as we said our good-bye's and hung up.

As soon as we hung up, I got started right away on mom's closets; bagging up all her clothes and marking the bags. It didn't take long for Hiromi to get to the apartment, seeing as she lived only a couple streets up the road. When she got there, things started to speed up. Soon, we had everything bagged up and in boxes. We stared proudly at the work we accomplished.

"Well, that didn't take too long. Only about 2 hours. It's only noon." Hiromi stated.

"Wanna get some lunch?" I suggested. She must have loved the idea, and was thinking the same thing. Because as soon as I said this, she perked up (much like a cat *smirk*) and said,

"Just what I was thinking! Let's go!" She practically dragged me out the door, leaving the various boxes and bags of things neatly by the door.

We decided to go to a small café on the corner of the one intersection in town. I got just a simple latte and a bowl of soup, while Hiromi got a cappuccino and also the same soup as I. When we finished, it was about 3 o'clock, and we decided to take a walk around town, before parting our separate ways once again.

"See you on Monday!" Hiromi called as she walked down the road. I waved back before turning around and heading back to the only place I could just let my mind wander. When I had reached the white arch once again, I felt myself shrinking down in size, before walking over to the miniscule building. I knocked lightly on the door, and was greeted by the orange feline who, at the moment, was the one who could keep me in a better mood than I've been as of late. He smiled lightly.

"Hello, Haru. Won't you come in?" He invited me inside and took my jacket in the process. He then proceeded to make me a cup of tea.

"Hi, Baron." I said, with as much cheer in my voice as I could. Getting rid of my mother's stuff today kind of put me in a lousy mood. But, I tried my hardest to stay positive. Although it didn't seem to be working, as Baron came over with my cup of tea and handed it to me, concern still in his eyes.

"Haru, what seems to be troubling you?" He asked. I noticed, instead of him sitting in the chair across from the couch, he sat down on the couch next to me. I just looked away quickly trying hard to hold back my emotions. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "You can always talk to me about anything, Haru. You should know that by now." I turned my head to look at him, tears now plentifully welling up in my eyes.

"It's just…" I started. I smiled sadly. "When we came back from the Cat Kingdom those few months ago, and I left the school building, Hiromi said that my mother called her house a few times to ask where I was, and said it was urgent that I got home. I originally thought it was from being out all night and not returning until midday the next day." I explained. I started getting a bit choked back from tears as I continued. "But, that wasn't the case when I got home. My mother wasn't angry…she was…sad. I asked what was wrong. She had contracted breast cancer and only had a few more months to live. She passed away only a few weeks ago. That's why I was cleaning her stuff out of the apartment." Tears were plentifully running down my face now. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I've been holding it in for almost the entire 6 months she had left to live. I broke out into a loud sob, while Baron embraced me lightly, trying to comfort me. We sat like that for what seemed like hours.

"Haru, had I known…" He started. I looked up at him and just smiled sadly.

"Nothing anyone can do about it now." I stated. "I guess I just needed to get it out of my system…" I finished.

"Had I known you were going through all this, I would have come to find you instead of you having to come to the Bureau yourself." Baron said, sadness in his eyes for what seemed like the first time I ever witnessed. I quieted down upon hearing this. I looked deep into his eyes and I smiled. And for what seemed like the first time during the whole ordeal, it was a genuine smile. He returned it with one of his own smiles. He pulled out his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped my face dry of tears.

"Thank you Baron." I said. He nodded.

"Any time you need to speak about anything, I'll be here." He replied. He stared deep into my eyes as he started to lean down closer to me, which I in turn did the same. Our lips collided softly, as we shared a moment I would never forget. We pulled away at the same time, sharing the same expressions of surprise, and happiness.

"I think I'd better be going. It's getting dark." I stated. Baron just nodded and led me to the door, helping me with my jacket. He opened the door for me.

"I might be by tomorrow. I'm not sure if I have anything going on tomorrow, but I can try to come." I suggested. Baron nodded and smiled while embracing me one more time before I walked out the door. I waved as I walked towards the white arch. Waiting until he went back inside, I started walking. As I passed through the arch, I waited for my body to return to normal size. Surprisingly, I didn't. I was a bit tired, so I decided to shrug it off. I continued walking, when I heard a slight rustling sound coming from behind me. I quickly whipped around to come face-to-face with a large, purple-colored feline, with a gem on his forehead and two very differently colored eyes.

"Hey, babe. Long time, no see." Said the giant feline. Just as he was saying that, he grabbed hold of me.

"NO!" I screamed. I thrashed about, making attempts to swing at my attacker, failing miserably. I started screaming a bit, before he gagged me. Then, everything went black.

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><p><em><strong>Haha! Cliffy! I just had to bring him back. Wouldn't be a "Cat Returns" story without the Cat King! =P Hope you enjoyed the chapter! R&amp;R and Comment. Criticism is also welcomed. It builds character. Over and out! ^_^<strong>_


	3. A New Surrounding

_**Hey guys! Once again, trying to keep you all updated. I'll keep trying to post everyday, but I also need more reviews than I've been getting. Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the first 2 chapters!**_

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><p>I groaned as I awoke to a dungeon-like room. I groggily tried to focus on my surroundings, not having much luck.<p>

"Ugh…" I groaned. "Where am I…?" I asked out loud. I wasn't quite sure as to what had just happened. I tried my hardest to remember, but couldn't.

"I see you're finally awake." I heard a voice from behind me say. I jumped a bit before trying to see who it was. I saw a figure in the corner, resting in the shadows. When it stepped out, I was a bit taken back by the sight. It was an elder cat which looked to be locked in the cell for much longer than only a few years. It almost looked like he had been there his whole life.

"Um…yes." I said weakly. "Who, may I ask, are you?" I asked.

"My name is Mitsuo." Replied the elder feline. I observed him closely.

"Why are you in here?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"Many years ago, a treacherous act was committed against the one and only King of the Cat Kingdom." The cat replied. "I just so happened to be there when the act was committed. I was accused immediately of being the one who was head of the entire ordeal. I was sentenced to an entire life-time in prison." He explained.

"What is it that was done to the King?" I asked.

"There was some kind of poison placed in one of his foods which made him gravely ill. I Just happened to be the one to deliver it to him." He replied. "However, when the king recovered from the illness, I assumed they would question me and eventually execute me. That was not the case. They just let me rot here in this cell for the rest of my life." He finished, anger all over his face. I frowned. I never would have imagined that something like that would ever happen.

"So, did you ever find out who actually did it?" I asked.

"No. No one figured it out." He replied. "What's your story? There has to be a reason for you being in here." He inquired. I shuddered at the thought.

"I'm not so sure as to why I'm here again…" I said.

"Again?" He repeated.

"A few months back, I rescued the Kings only son, Prince Lune, from getting hit by a truck. They wouldn't stop trying to repay me, and eventually tried forcing me to get married to the Prince!" I explained. "But, with the help of the most amazing cat ever, I was able to make it out ok!" I finished. I frowned. "I just don't know what's going to happen this time…"

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><p><strong>Baron's POV<strong>

I was sitting, trying to tune out the usual argumentative antics coming from my two friends outside, when there was a sudden knock at the door. I got up quickly to answer it. When I opened the door, I was greeted by two VERY familiar faces.

"Can I help you two?" I asked. The orange and brown messenger cat looked at me with a worried expression.

"It's Miss Haru, I'm afraid." Said the orange and brown feline. My eyes grew at this statement.

"What do you mean?" I asked, a bit of anger filling my voice.

"The king has decided to take his own actions after your last visit, and has taken Miss Haru, I'm afraid." Said the Cloaked, old cat. I stared at the both of them, speechless. After I realized this I nodded.

"Thank you, Gentlemen." I said. "Have you any idea as to where the King has taken her?" I asked. They both just shook their heads.

"I'm afraid not." Said the grey cat. "But, we have a hunch that he might have taken her to the old abandoned castle of the Cat Kingdom. It's been abandoned for many years now. There was an incident a few years back that caused us to evict everyone out of the castle and build a new one in a completely different location." As he was explaining this, I was getting my coat and hat on.

"Do you think you can show me the way?" I asked. The two cats nodded, and we all ran outside.

"Toto!" I yelled. The crow just stopped in the middle of dragging Muta across the courtyard, the fat feline flailing his arms about and cursing at the crow under his breath. "We have another case. It involves Haru. Can you give us a lift?" The crow nodded and allowed us to mount him.

"Hey, what about me?" Muta said, taken back a bit by the sudden commotion.

"You can stay here on this one Muta." I said. "There's more angel food cake in the upper right shelf in the house." I finished with a smirk. When I said this, Muta perked up.

"Alright, I'll stay here. You be careful, ya hear me?" He warned. I nodded. With that said, we were off.

"_Please be safe…" _I thought to myself.

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><p><strong>Haru's POV<strong>

I had fallen asleep for quite sometime now, and I wasn't sure if I was ever going to get out of that dark, cold place ever again. Just then, the door slowly creaked open, and a light flooded the room. I squinted, trying to make out the figure in the doorway.

"Hey, babe." Said the giant feline. He sneered as he looked me over. I cringed at the sight, and remembered back to that day when he tried to force me to marry him after Lune rejected his offer to marry me. "Hope you're not too uncomfortable." He mused.

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked, a little afraid to find out the answer. He smirked when I asked this.

"Oh, you'll see. Come with me and find out…" He said with a sneer. I was reluctant to say the least, but thought something worse would happen if I didn't obey. I got up off the cold floor and left the room, looking back at the old cat I had spent the evening with. I frowned when I didn't see him move from his original spot.

We walked on throughout the old castle. I was getting a bit frightened, but kept my composure.

"So…where are we anyway?" I asked.

"You are in the remains of our original castle which holds all of Cat Kingdom's history." He replied. "The castle in which you had previously visited is relatively new, and isn't as ancient as the one you are currently in. You will spend the remainder of your days in here, Haru…as my wife." He finished with an evil grin. I stepped back from him.

_"So that's what he wants…" _I thought as I glared a bit at him. "I'm sorry…but once again, I'll have to decline." He glared back at me.

"Why? Because you have 'feelings' for that no-good Baron?" He replied. "He's nothing but a cheesy knick-knack that doesn't feel any emotions; and will certainly never love you back. You have nothing left in the world, and he's just another obstacle in your path, and will always be that." I glared at him, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. "Even your own mother was an obstacle you had luck overcoming." He finished with the most sickening sneer ever. Right when he said this, tears started spilling out of my eyes. I got so angry, I didn't even expect to do what I did next.

"You're wrong!" I screamed, as I took a swing and surprisingly hit him straight in the face. He fell back on his feet, as I ran off in a random direction, blinded by my tears. I knew all of what he said wasn't true, but I couldn't think about it any longer. I ran in a completely random direction, trying to find some place to hide in the twists and turns of the old stone castle. When I thought that I wasn't being chased, I slowed to a walk, and continued looking for a way out.

"You think you got away from me, don't you?" I heard a voice come from behind me. I swung around, and was instantly grabbed, and thrown into a room behind a hidden doorway. "Well, you're wrong. And you will marry me." Said the persistent feline. With saying this, he slammed the door, and locked it tight so that I couldn't get out at all.

I took in my surroundings as the room looked like a newly refurbished bedroom suite. Did he do this just for my being here?

"Why, king…?" I thought out loud. "Why do you continue to do this?" I looked over and spotted a bed. I walked over to it and curled up in a ball on the bed. Suddenly, I noticed that I was deffinately no longer human. I started to sob quietly.

"Baron…" I said in between sobs. "Please, Baron…help me…help me!" I repeated this over and over again in between my sobbing until I finally cried myself to sleep.

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><p><em><strong>Well there ya have it. Not much to it, but it's better than nothing, right? R&amp;R and comment. Criticism is needed as well. Builds character, as I've said before. Hope you guys enjoyed! Ciao!<strong>_


	4. The Cermony Begins

_**Hey, ya'll! Next chapter up and running, working on the next. Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. I feel as thought nothing has really taken place so far, but that's just me. I need your reviews to tell me otherwise (if you feel like that). Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!**_

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><p><strong>Baron's POV<strong>

We've been traveling for hours and there's still no sign of the paw-shaped landmark we've been searching for. Things were starting to get stressful; and I could tell that the other three felt the same.

"Do you two remember the exact way back to the Kingdom of Cats?" I asked the two felines. They both just exchanged looks with each other before the cloaked cat stated,

"I'm afraid not. We came here in such a rush, we didn't really pay much attention to our surroundings." I sighed and returned back to observing the area closely, searching for a sign.

"Baron!" Toto exclaimed. "Look there!" He gestured in a direction, and I immediately noticed what he was referring to.

"Right. Let's go, Toto." I said. He nodded and began his decent. When we reached our destination, we headed straight for the very castle which held one of the memories I will most definitely never forget. We walked up to the gate, confronting one of the guards in the process.

"State your business." The guard simply said. He looked over the group in front of him. "Wait…do I know you?" He said, looking straight at me. I smirked a bit before stating,

"You probably remember me as Baron Humbert von Gikkingen." Tipping my hat to the guard, I introduced myself as politely as possible. He just replied by gesturing for us to enter. We walked through the gate quickly, as the guard led the way. Each passing minute, as much as I tried to ignore the fact, I was getting more and more worried about Haru's well-being. I pride myself in my ability to compose myself in such situations, but it seems that she is making it much more difficult to do so.

When we reached a giant set of doors, the guard told us to wait outside, which didn't help with my current condition. I cringed at the thought that we could be going over how to help Haru. But I kept my composure when the guard came back out.

"King Lune will see you now." He simply said. I nodded, before we entered the large throne room. We walked up to said King and his wife, Queen Yuki. I took my hat off and bowed politely before them both.

"No need for formality, old friend." Said Lune. "It is nice to see you again." I looked back up at him.

"Likewise." I said with a smile. Yuki stepped forward a bit.

"Baron, how is Miss Haru doing?" She asked with a soft smile. I frowned a bit before saying,

"That is why we are here. I'm afraid Haru's been taken away…" I looked directly at Lune. "…by your father." Lune was a bit taken back at this statement. A heavy silence filled the room for quite a long time. Finally, Lune said,

"Ok, what do you propose we do?" The cloaked Cat stepped forward.

"If you would, sire, we are to believe he is at the old, abandoned castle." He said. "When Miss Haru returned those few months back, your father retired to the old Castle. I only followed him because I was certain he was going to retire and forget all about Haru and everything that happened…that wasn't the case. He immediately started forming a plan to kidnap Haru again, and planned on actually marrying her. I apologize, sire…I should have come to you about it." The old cat frowned in guilt.

"No, my friend. I understand completely. We just need to focus on the matter at hand." Lune stated. "Do you remember the way to the old castle? I'm afraid I wasn't around for the eviction of it." He asked. The old cat just nodded.

"Haru should be able to hold her own for a while, but not for long." I stated. "We have some time to conduct a plan, but not long." Lune nodded and gestured for me to follow him.

"Let's discuss things in private. We'll conduct a plan, and then reveal it to the rest of your group, as well as some of my finest soldiers...and a person who's been there under cover for quite sometime now." He suggested. I nodded and followed him to another room.

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><p><strong>Haru's POV<strong>

I woke up to the door to the strange room opening and two female cats standing in the doorway. I recognized them immediately as the two felines that had put me in that yellow ball gown the first time I was in the Cat Kingdom.

"I see you're awake, Miss Haru!" Said the pink-colored feline. "It's almost time for the opening ceremony. We need to make sure you're dressed to the King's approval." I furred my eyebrows.

"Not like any king I've ever met…" I said monotonically. The two cats were a bit taken back at this statement.

"Um…we've brought a selection of dresses for you to choose from, Miss Haru." Said the purple-colored feline. She pulled in a rack of various ball gowns. I sighed at the selection but allowed them to dress me up like some common doll. When we were done, I was dressed in a simple black ball gown, with white gloves and a white flower in my hair.

"What do you think, Miss Haru?" Said the one cat, who was holding a mirror up to me. I looked into the mirror, and didn't recognize myself at all. I felt the same way I did when they dressed me up last time. I stared for quite a while, when another cat come to the doorway.

"Excuse me, Miss Haru?" She said. "It's time for the opening ceremony, if you're ready. The King is waiting for you." I didn't know what I was doing or why I was letting this happen. I should have ran when I had the chance, but instead I let the cat lead me down the hallway to the so-called 'dining hall'. The place was run-down, but cleaned up to look half-decent. There were multiple tables lined up along the walls, one that was particularly larger than the rest. I figured that was for me and the so-called 'king' I was supposedly marrying. There was music, and people dancing in the center of the room. It seemed all too familiar.

"Ah, Haru. Come, sit with me." Said my captor. I reluctantly went over to the table of which he was inhabiting. There were mountains of food all over the table. With the number of people there, I would have to guess that not everyone in the Kingdom of Cats was very happy to see their beloved king retire, so they followed him here. I sat down next to the large feline.

"Tell me…" I started. "What are you gaining from all of this?" He snickered.

"Well, I'm gaining a very lovely looking bride, that's for sure." He said, trying to sound sincere. I didn't like it at all.

"That's very flattering. But why are you really doing this?" I asked once again. His smile disappeared and he turned his head away from me. He then clapped his hands twice to one of his servants, signaling for entertainment. I was a bit more interested, considering this is about the time Baron came charging in saving me last time. I figured this wasn't the case this time though. He probably doesn't even know where I am...

As the entertainment went on for about another hour, I started getting tired. Then, a thought came to my mind.

"_I wonder what time it is back home…" _I thought to myself. Last time, it was past midnight when I was taken. I was gone for so long now, I'm sure that it's already almost morning back home.

"Are you enjoying yourself, my dear?" Said the cat. I looked over to him, and with a blank expression, nodded my head slowly. He snickered. "Good, because the main event is soon to come." He finished. I cringed at the thought of spending the rest of my life here.

"_Baron…if things turn out for the worst…I want you to know that I will always love you. Always have, and always will…"_ I thought to myself.

"Excuse me, Miss Haru?" I heard a voice come from beside me.

"Yes? Can I help you?" I said. Just then, the cat beckoned for me to follow him. I looked over and made sure that the retired king wasn't looking, and followed the cat to another area where no one could hear us.

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" I asked as soon as we were in private.

"You don't remember? I guess you wouldn't considering I had a disguise those few hours ago. We shared the cell together." The brown-colored feline stated. My eyes widened at this statement.

"Mitsuo!" I exclaimed. He grinned widely. "But…how did you escape?" I asked, a bit confused as to why he was in a disguise. His face got serious.

"Forgive me, Haru. But I had to gain your trust somehow. I work for King Lune as an under-cover agent. He sent me here to investigate this abandoned castle because he heard rumors about someone now living here. I was only in the cell as a back-up for when the now-retired king throws prisoners into the cells."

"So…that story you gave about the King falling ill, was a lie?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No, that actually happened, but to another king in another life, along the family chain." He explained. "But, we don't have time for that now. I want you to listen to exactly what I'm about to tell you, and do exactly what I tell you. For Baron and the others are currently forming a plan to come find you." My eyes widened at this.

"Baron knows about me being kidnapped again?" I asked. He nodded.

"Apparently so. So, listen carefully." He said. I nodded and listened attentively. "I want you to go through with the marriage this evening." I was speechless. He's asking me to marry this over-competent cat anyway? "Don't worry. You won't actually get married to him. We have a plan. Just go along with everything and act like you're having a good time from here on out. Things will become clearer soon, I promise." I nodded in response. We noticed some people giving us odd looks.

"What will you be doing?" I asked. He grinned.

"You'll be seeing me fairly soon. But for now, go along with everything. See you soon." He winked at me, before making his way out of the hall again.

I made my way back over to the table again and sat down, trying to seem as cheerful as possible.

"What did you two talk about, my dear?" My 'future husband' asked. I just looked at him and smiled a genuine smile.

"He just wanted to congratulate me on my marriage to you, sir." I said with a smile. He just raised an eyebrow and shrugged it off. Good thing I'm able to blend in fairly well…but I don't know for how long.

_"You better hurry up, Baron…This guy still gives me the creeps…" _I thought to myself.

* * *

><p>The rest of the night, we enjoyed watching special performances, and surprisingly didn't need to toss anyone out of a window. Then, there were trumpet sounds, as the former king stood from his chair and led me out of the room to the throne room of the castle.<p>

"You wait out here until the ceremony begins, Haru." He said with a sneer. I was getting quite tired of this smile of his and just wanted to go home.

"Of course." I said, trying to sound cheerful. He went inside, shutting the doors behind him. I waited for what seemed like forever when my hand was grasped in a very firm grip and placed on someone's arm. I looked up to find Mitsuo.

"YOU'RE walking me down the aisle?" I asked, a bit happy to say the least that I at least was being escorted by someone I could trust. He grinned and nodded. Suddenly, music began to play from inside, and the doors opened. Just as this happened, Mitsuo knelt his head down and whispered,

"Just stay close, and when I say so, run right back out those doors. Don't stop for anyone." He instructed. I nodded my head slightly as we began our trek down the red carpet.

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><p><em><strong>I know, weird ending, but I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter! Hope you guys feel the same! I'll be putting up my next chapter soon, if school and things don't interfere with it. Hope you enjoyed! R&amp;R, comment and Criticize! Thanks! Ciao!<strong>_


	5. The Battle

_**Hey guys. Keepin' ya updated as much as possible. Since Play started, I'm able to write while sitting backstage doing nothing lol. Hope you guys enjoyed so far. I know it's a bit short, but the last chapter or two might be the last. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!**_

_**Disclaimer: Hate to say it, but I own nothing related to Cat Returns. All wrights go to Studio Ghibli.**_

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><p>As the music, which seemed like it was leading me straight to my fate, played on, Mitsuo was discreetly scanning the room. His eyes shifted back and forth, searching and making sure all was clear. As we trudged on, the retired cat king sneered at me as we got closer and closer to the, now falling apart, alter. An old cat, which whom I recognized to be the King's advisor, assumed the position of the priest. However, he did not seem happy, as such a priest should be. He seemed anxious and was fidgetting thoughout the entire walk up the aisle.<p>

"Remember, Haru…" Mitsuo started. "When I give the word…" He spoke very calmly and clearly. I prepared myself to run, when I finally realized we were almost to the alter. I started to worry a bit. When am I supposed to run? Mitsuo must've noticed, because he tightened his grip on my arm. "Just trust me, Haru." I instantly thought back to that day at the Cat Kingdom.

"_This seems all too familiar…" _I thought to myself. Suddenly, I felt another arm take my own. I looked over and saw who it was immediately.

"Are you ready, my dear?" said the retired king. I hesitantly nodded my head before turning to the cat priest. He cleared his throat before beginning. All was silent.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this evening to join these two cats together in holy matrimony…" As he went on, all his words seemed to mash together. I felt completely unfocused, and felt week. Despite all this, I kept my composure. Soon, words became mixed mumbling, which turned into only muffled sounds. Everything started spinning around me. I tried my hardest to keep myself from swaying back and forth. Only when the priest spoke directly to me did I hear him clearly. But only the last few words.

"…as long as you both shall live?" I ended up unconsciously blurting out,

"I do." We waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity. The priest opened his mouth to say something. He then yelled at the top of his lungs.

"NOW!" With this being said, many cats threw all their formal-wear off to reveal many solders and even King Lune himself. I thought I heard someone yelling at me, but all I could hear was muffled cries and screams. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my arm and throw me in the direction of the doors.

"Didn't you hear me?" screamed a very flustered Mitsuo. "While King Lune's father is being restrained, head for the hallway! Keep running no matter what!" he instructed. With that, I picked up the skirt of my dress and shot out the door.

I kept running even though clear vision was no longer a factor in this case. Why was I becoming so weak? I decided to push the question to the back of my mind and take a rest. Surely I was far enough away from the throne room. I could no longer hear the clanking of swords or the screaming of battle cries resonating from the room. I backed up against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor.

I sat there for what seemed like forever. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming from around the corner. I got up as quickly as possible. As the footsteps rounded the corner, I tried to quicken my step. When I couldn't go on much more due to unending dizziness, I whipped around to face who it was.

"Who are you?" I exclaimed. All that replied was a slow, low chuckle.

"C'mon, babe. The ceremony must continue." The oversized cat said. My eyes widened and the only response I gave was an agonizing scream as I burst into tears.

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><p><strong>Baron's POV<strong>

As Toto and I descended to the old, run-down castle, we flew up to the one window to the throne room to wait for the signal to attack. Once the signal was given, we burst through the window. When I saw that Haru had left to room, I went straight for the over-grown, retired king.

"You have meddled with Haru's life for quite long enough." I said. "Time to end this." I held up my cane to the now furious feline. He pulled out a sword from a nearby weapon shelf. We suddenly broke into an epic battle between one another. It went on for quite sometime. A lunge then a dodge. A flail and a clash of metal on wood. When it seemed though it would never end, I lost my balance and ended up getting blade to the shoulder.

I fell backwards, wincing in pain. The giant feline stood over top of me, mused at what he had just accomplished. He held his sword out to my face.

"Give up yet?" he said with a sneer. He quickly pulled away and ran out the doors. I got up as best as possible. When I went to go after him, someone stopped me. I turned around to see Mitsuo.

"Not that way." He said. "It's better to go out the back. You can cut him off better that way." I nodded thanked him, and went out the back doors. I ran for so long, I wasn't sure I would ever find him…until…

"AHHHH!" I heard an agonizing scream come from down the hallway around the corner.

"Haru…!" I exclaimed quietly. I charged in the direction of the scream.

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><p><strong>Haru's POV<strong>

My scream was cut off by a tight grip around my neck. I struggled hard to fight it but failed. I suddenly couldn't feel the floor beneath me as I was suspended into the air. I felt the world around me slowly slipping away. Darkness started to consume me as I started to think that all was lost. I believed so until I heard someone shouting my name. I thought I recognized the voice, but couldn't focus enough to find out. I felt the grip around my neck loosen immediately following. As I fell to the floor, I watched as two felines were on the floor, one strangling the other. Unfortunately, the one being strangled isn't the retired King. Baron was struggling to break free of the cat's chokehold, but with little luck.

"Baron…" I managed to choke out. I looked around frantically for something to use on the over-grown feline. I noticed a sword on the floor next to them and scrambled to retrieve it.

"If I can't have her…" the cat started, "…then nobody can have her." He finished. He tightened his grip even tighter, if even at all possible.

"Hey! Fur ball!" I exclaimed. He turned. And just as he did, I lunged the sword straight at him, striking him directly in the chest. He shrieked in pain as he clenched his wound where the sword was still lodged into his body. He fell to the floor, and with his eyes expressionless, died right then and there. Baron got up off the floor cautiously before turning to me. He had a worried expression spread all over his face. I smiled at him.

"I'm glad…you're…ok…" I managed to say before I fell into darkness. The last thing I remembered was Baron rushing to catch me and yelling my name.

"Haru!"

* * *

><p>When I woke, it was a very bright light. I felt quite weak, and couldn't see much. I tried hard to scan my surroundings. I noticed that I was in what looked like a royal bedroom. I was in a large bed, with many covers. I felt like I was floating on a cloud. I happened to look over and see someone hunched over asleep on the side of my bed…his hand in my own. I smiled.<p>

"Baron…" I quietly said. Not loud enough to wake him. Just enough to say his name out loud. I let a tear escape from my eye, before I started to feel dizzy again.

"_Strange…" _I thought. _"This is how I felt at the old, abandoned castle…but why do I feel this way now…?" _I thought long and hard about it, but came to nothing. I decided to once again push the matter to the back of my mind and get some more sleep. But, just as I was about to lay back against the pillows again, an agonizing pain shot up through my side, making me wince in pain.

"Ah!" I exclaimed. It must have been loud enough for Baron to here, because he shot awake. I was now clenching my side in pain. "Baron…!" I exclaimed quietly. "What's happening to me, Baron!" He just embraced me lightly.

"Apparently, someone had placed some type of poison in the food at the old castle. You are not the only one who contracted the disease. Lune's father had also contracted it, considering he too ate some of the food." He explained quietly, trying to sooth my pain. "Not many other people had eaten the food, but a few other casualties were found." I perked up at this.

"_Casualties!_" I exclaimed, with emphasis on the word. "You mean, they all died?" I was getting extremely worried. I wasn't ready to die yet. I had so much more I wanted to do in life!

"Relax, Haru, please." Baron pleaded. I could tell he was scared too. "As long as you get plenty of rest, eat well, and stay strong, you will pull through this. I know you will. You're much stronger than you think, you know." He stated. He smiled lightly at me, which I in turn smiled back. He tilted my head down, and kissed my forehead, before laying me back on the pillows. Before he left, I grabbed hold of his sleeve. He stopped.

"Please…stay with me…" I asked, a bit of weakness in my voice now. He smiled sadly.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said. He sat back down on the chair next to me, pulled out a book, and sat with me until I fell asleep. Before I did so, I needed to ask him one more question.

"We…missed sunup this time…didn't we?" I said. More of a statement than a question. He looked over and frowned, before nodding slowly. I let a small tear escape my eye, before I finally fell back to sleep. Baron came over and kissed my forehead once more, before walking back out the door.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well, there ya have it! Play practice comes in handy! Your drama meter goes up extensively, and you get a lot more creative and dramatic scenes going. Hope you guys enjoyed! Next chapter or the following should be the last, as I said in the beginning! R&amp;R, comment, and criticize! Love you all! Ciao! ^_^<strong>_


	6. Finding a Cure

_**Hey guys. Next chapter up. Hope to end this story soon…running out of ideas. That's why it was so short to begin with. ^.^; Nothin' really else to say except, hope you enjoy the next chapter**_

_**Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing involving The Cat Returns**_

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><p><strong>Baron's POV<strong>

As the days went on, we were no closer to finding a cure for Haru's illness. I was starting to think we would never find anything. Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days. Everyone was getting restless. Everyday I made it a priority to check up on Haru regularly. Each day it killed me to see her so weak. But, despite her current condition, she was always smiling. Always cheerful; whilst we sat back and watched, worrying about the worst that could happen.

I walked in one day to bring Haru her lunch, when I noticed she was still fast asleep. I quietly shut the door behind me. I went to wake her up, when I noticed a letter sitting on her lap. Curiosity getting the best of me, I carefully picked it up and started reading what she had written.

_It's an exciting adventure  
>Traveling along the way<br>You can go right now, tomorrow  
>Or any other day<em>

_The vision ….. Beautiful  
>Of every kind<br>The sounds ….. Soothing  
>Is what you will find<em>

_The road goes in many directions  
>It matters not, the one you take<br>Just travel with an open heart  
>That's the decision, you need to make<em>

_What do you think you will find  
><em>_At the end of this trip?  
>Kindness, Advise<br>Understanding, Support …..Destination, Friendship_

_I'm so happy this trip lead me to you!_

I frowned a bit, but continued to read on.

_Don't ask me why we're friends…  
>The best relations don't need reasons<br>They just need one single promise:  
>The promise to stand by in all seasons<em>

_Don't ask me when we made that promise…  
>It really doesn't need to be spoken<br>You know it in your heart, and I know it in mine  
>That this is never going to be broken<em>

_Don't ask me what's not good about you…  
>We're all different and make our own mistakes<br>I wouldn't want to change you, but if you want to change  
>I'll give you the help that it takes<em>

_Don't ask me why I want you around me…  
>Cuz I myself am not too certain<br>Is it just because of the habit of you,  
>Or because you're a whole lot of fun!<em>

_Don't ask me why I need you to be with me…  
>Cuz yet again, I'm not sure<br>To be a mirror and show me my faults,  
>Or to encourage, motivate, and reassure!<em>

_Don't ask me when's the best time I spent with you…  
>Special people make all times special<br>And the kind of person you are,  
>Just by being a part, you make life beautiful!<em>

_Don't ask me what's great about you…  
>It would be impossible to choose one<br>But it would be one of these two -  
>Your honesty, or your heart full of compassion<em>

_Don't ask me what's kept us together for so long…  
>I don't think it has to do with you or me<br>I really believe this is God's plan  
>And that you're a part of my destiny!<em>

_Don't ask me why I scream at you when I do…  
>It's a reason I'm reluctant to give<br>You don't do things all that wrong;  
>It's just that I know you'd forgive<em>

_Don't ask me why I'm not all sugary sweet with you…  
>Even you know you'd find it odd!<br>Don't you always expect (and in heart of heart, want)  
>Me to check thy erring with a rod!<em>

_Don't ask me what the future holds…  
>You know it and I know it too…<br>We're always going to be the friends we are  
>Wherever we are, whatever we do<em>

_Don't ask me why I wrote these verse  
>sCuz the only reason is that you asked me to be sweet<br>But you really have to know this -  
>Even when I'm not saying it, I mean it!<em>

_Don't ask me why I'm writing this last verse -  
><em>_It's a silly reason – to make the count thirteen!  
>Yea, it's been that long since we're friends<br>And what a brilliant experience it's been!_

_I'll miss you Hiromi, and I'm so sorry I had to leave. Enjoy the rest of your life. Live every day to the fullest and make it count. You may not know what could happen that day  
>love, your dearest and most trusted friend,<em>

_Haru_

When I finished reading, I felt very light tears welling up in my eyes. I looked down to find Haru now sitting up and smiling sadly. I sat down next to her on her bed and embraced her lightly.

"I'm so sorry for all that has happened, Haru." I said. "I should've taken better care of you…" She pulled away from my embrace and shook her head.

"No, Baron." She said with a smile. "You've been taking care of me these past few days. Being able to spend these last few days with you has given me a lot of time to think things over. No matter what would've happened, I still would have been happy either way. I got to see you again, go on an adventure with you once more, and express feelings to you in ways I could never have before." Tears were now streaming happily down her face. "Now, all we can do is hope and believe that, not only I, but all of us can pull through all this." I smiled sadly before cupping her face in my hands, wiping some tears away with my thumbs, and lightly capturing her lips in my own. She wrapped her arms around my neck as she lifted herself into me deepening the kiss. When we finally broke for air, we rested our foreheads on each other's.

"I love you, Baron Humbert von Gikkengin." She said with the very smile that had captured my heart the first time I saw it.

"And I, you." I replied. We sat like that for what seemed like forever before she again fell back to sleep. I left her to her dreams and left quietly. I walked to the castle library where everyone else was diligently looking for a cure to Haru's condition.

"Any progress-" I started but was cut off immediately when the others noticed I had entered the library.

"Baron!" Mitsuo exclaimed. "I think we found something that could help!"

"Well then, Mitsuo?" I started. "Would you kindly explain?" He nodded and gestured for me to sit down on a set of chairs. When I did, he held out a book that read 'History of Cat Kingdom.' He took a deep breath and began.

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><p><strong>Haru's POV<strong>

_As I climbed out on top of the pillar, I was overwhelmed by what I saw._

_"AHHH! Where am I?" My voice echoed throughout the vast emptiness of the fog and mist. I noticed that I was starting to grow in size…and was losing my balance in the process._

_"Oh no! Oh no! I'm falling!" I yelled. I then, lost my balance and fell off the pillar. Luckily, I caught hold of the ledge and held on for dear life. I started slipping when something grabbed my hand (more like a paw). I looked up to see who it was and saw the sneering face of that wretched king staring back at me._

_"Ciao, Babe." was all he said. And with that, he sent me spiraling to my death. I screamed as I fell, hoping it would be a quick and painless hit. I saw the ground rapidly approaching as I accepted my fate. The ground got closer and closer until finally…_

I snapped awake in a cold sweat. When I realized that I was still alive, I layed back against the pillows again.

"Whew…Just a dream…" I said. I took a few moments to catch my breath, before I noticed something sitting on the table beside me. It was a flask of red liquid. I eyed the liquid carefully, before something in the corner of the room caught my eye. I was about to yell when it spoke.

"Please, miss! Do not be alarmed!" It instructed. "I have no means to harm you." I said. I was a bit skeptical, as I couldn't see it clearly. "The illness in which you have contracted, is very fatal. It can kill you if not treated. There is no real cure for the illness, but there is a way to dispose of it in a way that wouldn't seem very possible."

"Being in this place long enough can get you to believe in the impossible." I responded with a smirk. The cat chuckled at this remark. "So, what does this flask do?" I asked.

"It will transform you into whatever you desire." The cat replied. I was beginning to get confused.

"But…how will that get rid of the illness?" I asked.

"You see, when the disease has a host, it stays with that host only. If the host changes form, it will fool the disease into thinking it has just changed hosts. Not being in the disease's natural nature, it will flee from the host, and disintegrate over time." He explained. My eyes widened upon hearing this. "But, be warned, dear Haru…That whatever you truly desire will be what you turn into. What you want then, is what you will turn into. Choose your decision wisely." He warned. There was a giant flash of light, and the cat was gone. I turned my attention to the flask on the table beside me.

"Hm…" I thought out loud. "What I truly desire, huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>Baron's POV<strong>

"So…all the King did was change forms and the disease was cured…Interesting…" I thought out loud.

"Yeah." Mitsuo said. "I couldn't believe it myself when I read it. I thought it was just an old legend. But when this happened, it had me thinking…" I thought long and hard about it.

"Now the next question…how do we come about changing Haru's form?" I asked. Mitsuo shook his head.

"That I'm not sure of…" He replied. "It didn't say anything as to how he changed forms."

"I think…I can answer that…" We heard a small voice come from the doors of the library. I jumped up quickly when I heard who it was. We were all shocked at who was standing weakly in the doorway to the library.

"HARU!" I exclaimed as I ran to hold up the staggering girl. "What are you doing? Why are you out of bed…" My voice trailed off as I noticed a small flask of red liquid in her hand. She looked up at me with the most confident look I've ever seen on her face.

"I know what to do, Baron." She said. "Just…trust me." She winced a bit in the middle of her sentence due to the pain in her side. I nodded, before helping her over to a chair to explain to us what she plans on doing.

When we sat down, she seemed to gain her strength back a bit. When she was able to pull herself together to explain things, she held up the flask to show us all.

"This flask…" She began. "Will allow me to change into whatever I desire. It will only work once though, and will change me into whatever I truly desire at the moment. So I only have one shot at it…" She looked directly at me when she continued. "…and I have chosen." I frowned just a bit at this statement. I had a feeling she was going to make the better choice…not like I was going to like it much, but it was what was best for all of us.

"Well, we'll let you do what you think is best, Haru." Lune stated. "But, where may I ask did you get that flask?"

"Some cat gave it to me. He came and went so strangely…like magic." She replied. We all looked at each other, all with puzzled looks. "We should hurry though…" She finished a bit more weakly than usual. I noticed this right away. "…I think this illness is finally taking a larger effect on me." We all nodded. We helped Haru up and loaded up back on Toto.

"I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer Yuki…" Haru said when she was comfortably mounted on Toto.

"No, Haru. We're sorry you had to go through all this." She replied. She was joined by Lune as they both bid us farewell.

"Come visit again soon…but make sure it's a friendly visit, ok Haru?" Lune mused. She smiled weakly and nodded. We waved good-bye before flying to the top of the tower to fly through the exit.

_"Hang in there, Haru…" _I thought to myself. _"We'll have you back to normal in no time."_

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><p><em><strong>Whew! Long chapter, but mostly taken up by those two poems. Which of course I do not own. I'm not that creative. ^.^; Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter should be the last. Hope you liked the story! R&amp;R, comment, and Criticize! Love you all! Ciao!<strong>_


	7. Making a Choice

_**Hey guys! Well, this story was pretty fun to write. I had so many options and obviously I couldn't explore them all, considering I just kept on writing and writing, not exactly thinking before I wrote. When I get an idea in my head, I just run with it…a sad habit I must break. *sweat drop* Well, hope you enjoyed the story. This should be the last chapter, then done with Cat Returns for a while…unless a sequel is requested after this… 'hint hint…' ;) So, without further adue, here is the final chapter to "Life Goes On."**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Cat Returns**_

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><p><strong>Haru's POV<strong>

When we took off for the exit, I could barely keep consciousness, but forced myself to do otherwise. With the tower now rebuilt, the exit was now back in place. We swiftly flew up and out of the exit. While we hovered for a bit, examining the are to see where we had ended up, I started to feel a bit more focused. Eventually, we knew where we were. We were flying over my now very lonesome-looking apartment. I unconsciously grasped onto Baron a little tighter as memories started flooding into my mind.

"Not much farther now, Haru." Baron said. He must have noticed my anxiety. I only nodded in response. As we descended into the courtyard of the bureau, we saw a large, white feline, whom we recognized as Muta, pacing back and forth. When he finally noticed us, we landed, and he came running right up to us.

"Where have you been?" he exclaimed. Baron was in the process of helping me off Toto. "You've been gone for days…!" His voice trailed off as he noticed my staggering body. "Hey, kid! You ok?"

"Muta, if you would kindly wait until we're _completely _finished, we will gladly tell you what happened." Baron snapped. I could tell he wasn't ready to deal with Muta's frantic rants. Muta nodded and stepped aside for the moment. I chuckled lightly at this. Baron looked at me with a smile at this. Then his face faded to seriousness.

"Haru…" he started. "I want you to know that no matter what you choose, I will always love you." He smiled lightly. I smiled back. When I held the vile up to look at it, I thought long and hard about my choice. I looked at the three bureau members before saying,

"I know I can't please everybody I love…and those I can't will suffer greatly for it. But, whatever I choose, it will always be for the best. Even I may not like the choice, but it will be for the best. The choice I'm about to make may change my entire life forever. And, I want you all to know, that it IS for the best." Baron's eyes shifted downward at this statement. I smiled. "Which is why…I know you will understand when I do this." After saying this, I popped the cork to the vile, and drank the liquid. It had a nice and sweet taste to it. I took a step back from the group and waited.

"Isn't something supposed to happen now…" Muta started, but trailed off when my body started to glow a very bright light. I winced in pain as my side started hurting a bit, but could also feel my body transforming. I soon, couldn't feel the ground beneath me anymore, as the light lifted me to complete the transformation. This went on for a good few minutes, before I finally felt myself lowering to the ground. I was so overwhelmed, I just let the light allow me to lay on the ground.

"Haru?" I heard Baron say, as he rushed over to help me back up. I stumbled a bit getting up before I heard him gasp. I smirked.

"Well? How do I look?" I said. My fur had changed to a light grey color. I still had my face, but it was also much like a cat's. My paws turned back into hands, but fur-covered. Much like Baron's. I had a longer, fluffier tail. Much changed, but I was still part cat. I looked like a female version of Baron.

"I don't understand…" Baron stated after a few moments of staring. I smiled.

"I figured I didn't have much back home…and Hiromi has bigger plans for her life. She'll be fine without me. I figured…I could start a new life, here in the bureau…" I walked over to the still shocked Baron and placed my hand on his face. "I love you so much. And I want to be with you, Baron. No matter what it takes, I will always be with you." I smiled, if it was even possible to smile any bigger than I was. He smiled back before cupping my face in his hands.

"Just as long as you're happy, Haru. That's all that matters." He replied. I nodded, before allowing him to capture my lips in a passionate kiss, one that I would never forget for as long as I shall live. Muta and Toto were happily arguing over nothing as usual. We pulled away from each other for a moment to watch. I started to laugh, as it didn't hurt anymore, and it was a truly genuine laugh. One I haven't had in a long time.

"Oh, yeah, you birdbrain!" Muta shouted.

"Again with the 'birdbrain' thing. Muta, you have no originality." Toto retorted. They continued like that until I decided to have some fun. I pulled away from Baron and snuck in a direction he wouldn't notice me. As he continued to throw the same insult at Toto, I was carefully sneaking up behind him. Toto eventually caught on to this, and was trying hard not to laugh.

"What's your problem, Birdbrain? Why you laughing?" Muta asked. I was close enough. As soon as I got close enough, I jumped up high enough to land on his shoulders. I jumped up higher than him, jumped on his shoulders for like a split second, and jumped off, watching him flail about.

"HUH? WHAT!" He screamed as he fell backwards. We all erupted in hysterical laughter. I was laughing so hard, I ended up on the ground, clenching onto my sides. It felt so good to laugh again.

"Oh, Muta! You're face! It was priceless!" I exclaimed between my hiccups of laughs. He got up and stormed over towards me.

"What was that all about!" He exclaimed. I tried hard to suppress my laughter.

"I'm sorry, Muta. I just haven't had a laugh like that in a LONG time." I said with a grin. He calmed down a bit.

"Now, how about we all go in for some tea?" Baron suggested. "I'm sure you want to hear all about the situation, Muta?" He looked over and nodded at Baron. I ran back over to Baron, entwined my arm with his, and walked into my now permanent home. I smiled at the thought of being with Baron the rest of my life. We got inside, received our cups of tea, and sat down to talk about the case. It took some time for Muta to understand some of the history of the Cat Kingdom, but after some extensive explanations, he finally understood, and asked no more further questions on the matter.

We sat and talked for a few hours. I just happened to look up at the clock on the wall, which read about 10 o'clock. I tried to stifle a yawn, which ended up not working in the end anyway. Baron noticed this.

"Would you like to go to bed?" He offered. "It is quite late. The room is up the stairs, first door on the right." I blushed at the thought of taking his bed. But I thought, since I might be living here now, we'll have to revert to sleeping in the same bed sooner or later. I nodded before saying good night to everyone. After everything that's happened, sleep came quite quickly. Before I knew it, I was sound asleep, left to my endless dreams of random thoughts in my mind.

The next morning came quicker than I thought. I woke up to a very bright light. I rolled over to try and block it out, but it didn't help too much. I decided to get up. I forgot that I hadn't had any other clothes, so I slept in what I had on last night…how embarrassing…

"Great…what else am I going to wear…" I thought out loud. I looked over at a desk and chair and noticed a dress hanging over the chair. I smiled and went over to try the outfit on. All together, it was a pale yellow-colored dress with a black belt around the waist, a pair of black leggings, and black flats. There was even a yellow ribbon for my hair. After I had a good look at myself in the mirror, I thought out loud, "Wow…Wish I had clothes like this before…" I smiled, got one last look, before skipping down the stairs. When I got downstairs, I looked around for the one who had captured my heart.

"Baron…?" My voice trailed off as I noticed said cat laying on the couch, his head lulled to the side, fast asleep. I smiled and silently skipped over to him. I hovered over him like a little child watching her parents sleep.

"You know…it isn't polite to watch people sleep…" He mumbled. I jumped back a bit, my face turning bright red.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" I said. He chuckled as he sat up. When he finally noticed the outfit I was wearing, he stared for a bit, before shaking his head to snap out of his thoughts.

"That dress suits you quite well, Haru." He said. I nodded.

"Thank you so much. But where, may I ask, did you get it?" He smiled sadly before replying,

"Louise, my once betrothed, had an exquisite taste for simple, yet elegant dresses. Yes, they did suite her, but I am not ashamed to say that you fit the part much better." I smiled sadly.

"You miss her, don't you?" I asked. He looked over at me and nodded slowly.

"At times, yes. But, one must learn to move on in life. Meet new people, start a new life." He said, quoting my words. I smiled before embracing him lightly. "So, how would you like some breakfast?" He said, walking out to the kitchen to start said meal. I nodded, and followed him out.

"_I now know, this is the world I belong in." _I thought to myself. I smiled at this thought, before helping Baron with breakfast.

After we were done eating, I asked if there was a way to deliver the letter I had written for Hiromi. I had written an actual letter for her along with the poems, stating that all my stuff be donated to people who really need it.

"I can have Toto fly it to her for you." Baron suggested. I nodded. I handed the letter to Toto telling him to make sure to take good care of it. I didn't want Hiromi to worry about me. The last thing she needs is stress when she's almost done with high school and moving on to college. Toto took off with the letter to take it to her.

"Well…shall we go inside? It's quite cold out…" I said with a shiver. Baron nodded before escorting me back inside. I'm glad I made this choice. I know I made the right one. I'll be helping out with cases, and be with the ones I love, all at the same time. This is the start of a new life for me.

A life that I will cherish more than anything in the world.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Whew! Done! Hope you enjoyed! I know, not the best ending, but I had to leave it open just to see if people wanted a sequel. R&amp;R, comment and criticize! See ya guys next time! Ciao!<strong>_


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